


Death of Angels

by Akumadiavola007



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Dumb basis for plot, Evil romans, M/M, tragic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 11:05:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14331117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akumadiavola007/pseuds/Akumadiavola007
Summary: Nico suffers and dies for dumb reasons and he takes it all stoically. His friends are there to watch helplessly and his relationship with Will Solace has to end as quickly as it started.





	Death of Angels

Nico had seen Roman trials before. The Senate would harass the accused person into a confession, and then deal out unbelievably harsh punishment. He never thought he'd be the one accused. He stood on the podium, all eyes on him, baring into his soul. Nico stood proudly, trying not to let them get to him. He hadn't done anything wrong...had he? Was this because he had killed Octavian? Or was it because he was a Greek, and he had lied to them about being a son of Pluto? The judge, a boy named Justin, took his place in the front of the Senate. He was a son of Justitia, the goddess of Justice. Apparently that goddess wasn't very creative in naming her children,"Nico di Angelo, do you swear on the Styx to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"  
The words filled him with dread, but Nico said "Yes." It was impossible to argue with Roman law.  
"And do you swear on the Styx to accept the Senate's judgement and take the verdict and punishment without resistance?"  
Nico forced himself to agree to the terms. He would tell them what they wanted to know, and take the consequences. He didn't regret anything.  
The judge folded his hands under his chin and peered down at Nico. The boy had spectacles on the bridge of his nose that made him look much more serious than someone of his age should.  
"Are you Greek or Roman by birth?" Justin asked him.  
"Greek," Nico answered.  
"Did you know about Camp Half-Blood when you introduced yourself as the Ambassador of Pluto?"  
"Yes." The judge paused to write down a note.  
"And you have helped the Greeks in the past?"  
"Yes." Another note.  
"I understand you went through Tartarus. Can you describe your experience?"  
"I can."  
"Will you?"  
"Not unless I have to." Nico knew he was pushing things by using technicalities, but he would do almost anything to avoid reliving those memories. Justin frowned at him.  
"Please describe your experience in Tartarus," he said in a more commanding tone. Nico swallowed.  
"I would really rather not," he told the judge.  
"I don't care. Please do." Nico bit his lip to keep himself from saying no. If they wanted to hear his torture, he would tell them. But where to start?  
"I felldown into Tartarus. I endured the environment, and I traveled to the Doors of Death. I was captured by Gaea's army of monsters, and then they trapped me in a jar for about two weeks until the Seven demigods defeated Otis and Ephialtes and released me." Nico was perfectly fine with underplaying his trip to Tartarus. Unfortunately, Justin wasn't perfectly fine with it.  
"Did you suffer any mental breakdowns or psychological problems from your experience?"  
"Yes," Nico admitted.  
"Please describe them."  
Nico started getting annoyed. What did any of this have to do with the trial? He still didn't know what the trial was for. By this time, he had forgotten the people watching him. He didn't see anyone except this irritating judge. All he focused on was telling the truth. So...psychological problems...yeah.  
"How can I describe them? Do I have to tell you why I broke down, or where, or what I was thinking? What psychological problems can I describe accurately enough? I have an irrational fear of the dark. I think of the Phlegethon every time I see fire. I subconsciously imagine that all rivers are the river of woe, and that I'll drown if I ever swim in them. I was drowning in darkness and fear. I was shown visions of being rejected by everyone, over and over. My sister's death. My mother's death. My father's abuse. It even made me relive the concentration camps," Nico said bitterly. He glared at Justin, but the judge was busy taking notes.  
"Mmhmm... Now, tell me more about this concentration camp," the boy said, peering over his spectacles.  
"When I was seven, my family was taken to a concentration camp in Germany. My grandparents were killed in front of me, and I never saw my uncle or cousins again. We lived there for two years, working in a textile factory."  
The judge switched topics.  
"Is it true that you wielded the scepter of Diocletian?"  
"Yes."  
"Where did you get that from?"  
"Diocletian's Palace."  
"Who gave it to you?" Nico hesitated as he guessed where this was going. No, how could they know about that? Jason wouldn't tell...right? Unless they had made him swear on the Styx to tell the truth. Nico cursed the Romans and their stupid Senate.  
"Cupid," he finally answered grudgingly.  
"Hmm," Justin made a note. "And did Cupid make you do anything in return for the scepter?"  
"Yes." Nico silently pleaded for Justin not to ask anything else.  
"What did he make you do?" Stupid Justin. Stupid court. This had nothing to do with any legal matters! Nico met Justin's calm brown eyes with his own maniacal glare.  
"He made me admit who I had a crush on." The words left a bitter taste in Nico's mouth. Justin raised one eyebrow, and Nico ground his teeth.  
"And who, exactly, did you say you had a crush on?"  
"That's pretty personal. How about telling me why I'm here? Instead of asking me about something that's embarrassing and useless for you to know?"  
"How about you stop avoiding the question?" Justin countered. "Just tell me: who do you have a crush on?"  
"Why do you want to know?"  
"Just answer me."  
"No one."  
"What?"  
"I don't have a crush on anyone," Nico repeated angrily. Justin went to say something, but paused. His face twisted in confusion, but then realization dawned on him.  
"Who did you have a crush on, then?" Nico pondered an answer. Finally, he did give an answer, just to shut this guy up.  
"My cousin," he said.  
Some giggles broke out in the Senate, but they were suppressed. Justin raised his hand for silence and adjusted his spectacles.  
"Which cousin?"  
"I only have one cousin who is a girl."  
"That doesn't answer my question."  
"What are you implying?" Nico knew very well what he was implying, and he didn't like how true it was.  
"I am implying that you could have had a crush on a boy. Is that wrong?"  
"Yes. It is wrong to force someone to discuss personal matters publicly."  
"Is it inaccurate to say that you had a crush on a boy?" Nico paused. He couldn't think of any other way to deflect that question.  
"No." Nico clenched his fists.  
"So would it be inaccurate to say that you are gay?"  
"I am far from happy,” Nico deadpanned.  
"Would it be inaccurate to say that you are homosexual?"  
"No." Nico's knuckles turned white.  
"Your only male cousins would be Jason and Percy. Which one did you have a crush on?" It was over. Nico angrily admitted the truth.  
"Percy."  
Another stupid note. One of these times looking down, Nico hoped Justin's spectacles fell off his nose and shattered into a million pieces.  
"Alright," Justin finally said. "I now pass this case to the Senate for verdict."  
"Verdict? All you've questioned me about is my sexuality." Nico almost choked on that word. "What are you possibly going to punish me for?" He was left unanswered until the Senate had conferred with one another. One of the consuls, an older demigod in their late twenties, stepped forward with a neutral expression to deliver the verdict. In a booming voice, they announced, "We find the accused...guilty!...of deceiving the Legion, engaging in disorderly conduct, and being homosexual." They let that hang in the air a while. Nico almost didn't comprehend that. It took him a while before he realized that they had listed being gay under the list of crimes. As if it was illegal.  
"I object! Homosexuality isn't a crime! What should be a crime is putting all of you idiots in charge of the Roman legislature!" Nico shot out.  
The consul spoke over him as if he wasn't even there, drowning out his protest.  
"He is guilty, and he is condemned to death by crucifixion."  
No way. This was not happening. Not in a million years. Before Nico could get over his shock, the consul added, "Just to rid your head of any foolish thoughts of protest, I'm reminding you of your oath on the Styx to take our verdict without resistance." Nico clenched his hands onto the edges of the podium in front of him. His back arched forwards, and his breath came in forcefully. When would he ever learn not to swear by the Styx? He had been overconfident again, and had put too much faith in a fair judgement. I guess I won't have any more chances to learn my lesson, seeing as I'm going to die soon. The thought hit him heavily. He was going to die. He wasn't scared of death. He was outraged that he would die for a stupid reason. Of all the fights he had been in, all of the close calls with death, this silly Roman Senate was just sentencing him to death emotionlessly. Because of what? Being homosexual. Something Nico couldn't control. Something that didn't affect anyone except him. Something that he had never acted on.  
What a dumb reason to die.  
They had given him one day until the execution. It was his choice, really. He could leave forever and find out what happened to a person who broke an oath on the Styx, or he could be crucified. He had heard breaking a vow invoked a fate worse than death, so Nico was pretty sure that was out of the question. But the only other option was to let himself be crucified. He had shadow traveled to Camp Half-Blood to think things over, and...well, he didn't really know why else he was here. This camp had been a big part of his life, even if it hadn't always held his fondest memories. It was the closest thing he had to a home, especially since the Romans had turned against him. If only Reyna were here. She might be able to get him out of this. Reyna, Hazel and Frank had disappeared on a special quest a week ago, which was "praetor business; top secret," as they had joked. Still, he had no idea where they were. Nico wandered around the woods, just thinking numbly. He wasn't afraid of death. Honestly. That didn't mean he was prepared to throw his life away for nothing. He had survived too much to be brought down by an unjustified law. That being said, the last thing Nico wanted was to seem cowardly. If he had to die one way or another, he might as well prove himself strong and try to keep his dignity. He stumbled over a branch, realizing he had been subconsciously heading to the camp's main area. Nico looked out over the field, seeing demigods relaxing. He hesitated, debating if he should walk to the people and try to find a friend, or just go back into the woods. He shrugged, realizing if he was here, he may as well put good use to his last day alive. He headed towards the demigods. He realized, as he walked, that he was feeling extremely lost. He felt disconnected from the world. Even though the sun was shining, and the skies were clear, it was as if he was already a ghost. To add to this sense, nobody seemed to notice Nico as he passed through the groups of friends. He had sensed so many deaths in his life, that Nico wondered what it would be like to actually die. Would he achieve Elysium? Would he see Bianca at all? Or his mother? Would they remember him? Would he remember himself? Nico wondered what would happen if all of his past experiences and memories were taken away. What would be left of him?  
His thoughts were interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. A little startled, Nico jerked to look at the other demigod. He relaxed when he saw the smiling son of Apollo. Will's smile faded, however, when Nico turned around, to be replaced with a concerned face.  
"Hey, are you okay Nico? You have that haunted look again." Nico just looked at Will. He took in the fluffy blonde hair, the surf shirt, the aura of overwhelming calmness that had annoyed Nico at first. Now, he was incredibly grateful for it. His heartbeat seemed to decrease significantly. Those freckles splashed across his face, his vivid blue eyes, his smile. His eyes, his smile. Eyes, smile, freckles, calm, smile, eyes, calm, freckles. Will Solace.  
"Earth to Nico!" Will waved a hand in front of his eyes, snapping him out of his haze. "What happened?"  
Nico smiled at Will, ridiculously relieved to see him.  
"I'm getting crucified tomorrow," he said cheerily.

Nico sat by the lake with Will, wrapped in a bear hug. He smelled clean antiseptics and warmth, like a bonfire. If sunshine had a smell, that would be Will's scent. It was so comforting that Nico usually would have objected, but he had nothing to lose, did he? The son of Apollo's heartbeat was strong and steady, just like his personality. Will spoke with his chin on Nico's head, his voice resonating in Nico's ears.  
"Tell me what happened."  
Nico closed his eyes at Will's soft voice.  
"I was summoned to a Roman trial. They made me swear on the Styx to tell the truth an to accept the verdict without resistance. So, I was found guilty of tricking them when I told them I was Roman, and they sentenced me to death. By crucifixion. You know, I would accept the consequences for lying," Nico pondered. "I would even accept the disorderly conduct they added. But that wasn't everything. For some reason, they included being...gay...in the offenses." Will was silent. Nico felt the son of Apollo's muscles tense.  
"Uhh...for what specific reason is that offensive to you?" he asked worriedly.  
Something in Nico's mind clicked. He felt a rush of elation, because of why Will might be worried. Why they were hugging now. Will might like me. He might be nervous because he thinks I'm insulted by the Romans calling me gay. He's nervous because he's gay, and he might like me, and he wouldn't want me to think of being homosexual as a bad thing.  
With every moment of Nico's silent realization, a bubble of hope and happiness grew in his chest. With his silence, however, Will grew more and more disappointed and horrified. That kind of confirmed Nico's suspicions, and he grew happier, but felt really guilty for putting Will through this. He had to focus. He had to gather words to form real sentences, and explain himself. For a second, he just hugged Will tighter. Finally, he spoke.  
"It's offensive because apparently I’m not free to live as myself. They're treating homosexuality as if it was illegal. It isn't illegal, and in this modern age, I don't see how the Romans can get away with persecuting homosexuals. That‘s a dumb reason to condemn someone to one of the worst methods of death in history."  
Will relaxed, and then started suffocating Nico in his shirt. Nico's nose pressed against the tall boy's collarbone. Will laughed softly.  
"You scared me for a second," he said. "Nico, if this is the last day I'll have the opportunity, I have to say something. I hate you."  
Nico had a dumb moment of confusion. Was Will joking? No, his voice was dead serious. Will hated him? He realized he hated Will too. At times, that is, but not overall. But Will hated him? Don't be silly, he told himself, trying to crush his hopes back down. Of course he hates you. Everyone hates you. You're a son of Hades. But then why was Will suffocating him in a hug? Unless he truly was trying to suffocate and kill him. Nico doubted it, but hey, you never know.  
"But I also really like you," Will continued. "A lot. More than a friend would. Which is why I think I kind of love you. And considering we are each just finding out that the other is gay, I guess it's extremely early to say. But if I say it any later, I won't get to say it at all."  
Will's neck curved so his lips were by Nico's ear. His voice was incredibly low, in volume and pitch. It gave Nico shivers.  
"I love you," Will repeated. He tilted his head so his face was closer to Nico's, and Nico turned to face Will. They were three, maybe two inches apart. Then one. Then-  
Will's lips touched Nico's with the brush of a feather. There were other brushes, even fainter than the first, and Will's arms moved so that his hands pressed against the small of Nico's back. Nico sighed a little. It would be okay, he thought, if he died now. At the same time, if he died, it would be like putting down a book in the middle of suspense. He wanted to spend more time with Will, more time like this. This was nice. His heart fluttered kissing Will, as if it was making up for its future beats so that it would be ready to stop tomorrow. If Nico had ever been sure of something, it was that he wanted this. He wanted to be with this boy, this healer, this son of the Sun. He wanted so much more than a mere day to be with him, but he would make his last day worth it.  
"I love you too, Will," he whispered, smiling.

Nico stood in front of the assembled demigods nervously. Will nodded encouragement from the side of the group, and Nico cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him expectantly.  
"So, um," he started, "the Romans sentenced me to execution."  
There were some gasps, many widened eyes, some confusion and disbelief.  
He continued, "And since I’m the only person who has power over spirits, I'm offering to take requests. I know most of you have deceased loved ones, and this will be your last chance to speak to them again until you die, or visit the Underworld."  
Nico waited for a response, a reaction, anything, but the demigods stayed silent. Absolutely nothing happened. Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and Leo stared at him. He stared back.  
Finally, Leo asked, " Is this your sick idea of a joke?"  
Nico gave him a tired look. "No. They're going to crucify me tomorrow." Nico softened his tone. "So if any of you want me to summon a soul, this is a very limited offer."  
“Not if we have anything to say about it,” Piper frowned in anger. “No way. We’ll fight them with you.”  
Nico sighed. “Thanks, but no. They made me swear on the Styx beforehand that I would accept all consequences without resistance.”   
“So there’s nothing we can do?” Jason asked. “That’s bullshit!”  
Nico shrugged. “I don’t know what to think. I’m considering killing myself before they have the chance to, but I guess I could stand to go out with a bang.” He smiled, but it was forced. “So, anyway, you know where to find me if you want a seance.”  
He started to walk away from his friends, into the forest. Then he heard a rough voice following him, Percy. It sounded like he was choked up. But he couldn't be. There was nothing sad happening.  
"On what terms are the Romans sentencing you?"  
Okay. That sounded actually legal and accurate. It was a bit odd coming from the usually joking Percy. Nico turned around to meet him. The other demigods turned to follow him, but Percy waved them away. He started walking with Nico, in a seemingly aimless path. With seeing Nico's hesitant look, Percy changed his mind, requesting, "Okay, before we get to that, start from the beginning." So Nico started the tale.  
Eventually, Percy was brought back to his original question.  
"What offenses were you sentenced for?"  
Nico answered, "The offenses were lying to them, disorderly conduct, and uh...being a homosexual." He finished the last part shyly. He wished his aviator jacket hadn't been torn to shreds. Even though Percy already knew about Nico's past crush on him, it sent shivers of shame through Nico to say 'homosexual' out loud. He needed something to do with his hands, but he didn't have pockets anymore. His fingers started tapping against his legs, as energetic as Leo. It would also be nice not to have ADHD, even though Nico had learned to control it most of the time. Percy looked at him. Nico's eyes darted sideways to meet the green.  
"They can't do that," Percy rasped. "Being homosexual isn't against Roman law."  
Uncertainly, Nico said, "The sentence might just be from 'deceiving' them, or whatever they say is disorderly conduct. I swear, though, I didn't raise my voice once in that trial. I don't know what they're counting as disorderly conduct."  
"Even if there was disorderly conduct, that combined with lying would only result in exile," Percy told him, deep in thought. "There is no justified reason they can crucify you!" Nico gave him a sideways look.  
"How do you know Roman law?"  
Percy smirked halfheartedly and said, "The Romans didn't trust me at first. They thought I was lying to them, and said I was unpredictable. Reyna made me read these long gory descriptions of punishments for those exact illegal actions. I read an entire Roman law book, which is extreme even for someone who isn't dyslexic, and even if it wasn't in Latin! I didn't come across any law against homosexuality."  
Percy was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for, Nico thought. He wouldn't have thought Percy could have read a huge book of Roman law. Nico wasn't sure he could ever have the patience to do the same.  
"Why did they include that in the charges, then?" he asked Percy. To Nico's annoyance, Percy just shrugged and replied, "With the Romans, who knows? They have a long history of bending the laws to fit their purposes."  
"That doesn't really help me." Percy took a left for no apparent reason. It made Nico rethink his assumption that the route was aimless. Something tickled at the back of his memory. This was an odd route to take. Nico didn't usually walk this way. He didn't particularly like being on this path, but he didn't know why. They wound their way through the trees at the edge of the forest. The trees blocked almost all of the sunlight, casting Percy's face in gloom. The son of Poseidon glanced back at Nico, and then immediately ran into a tree. He stumbled back, cursing. Nico cracked a smile. I matter how great of a fighter Percy was, everyday objects gave him trouble. Percy looked at him with a pouting glare, his hand rubbing his scratched face.  
As Percy turned to walk again, Nico was hit with an overwhelming sense of recognition. He froze.  
"Percy, why are we here?" he asked cautiously. It was the same route Percy had taken him to tell him about Bianca's death, he now remembered. Percy stopped and turned to him miserably.  
"Nico," he started, "I already failed to save one child of Hades. I always... I mean, Bianca's death has always been on my conscience. The best thing that helped me was feeling like I was making it up to her, keeping you alive. It's what she wanted, even if you didn't want to live at times." Percy's voice broke.  
Nico was stunned. Why did Percy sound so broken? He couldn't be. He sounded worse than Nico felt, which was extreme, considering Nico was the one with less than a day until his execution. But there was also what he had said.  
"Uh, h-how did you know about that?" Nico stuttered with a small nervous laugh. Percy sighed unhappily. He walked towards Nico, and caught his arms before Nico could take a step back. Percy spoke in a low voice and moved slowly, which was strangely calming. His green eyes gleamed as if in broad daylight, his stare piercing into Nico's.  
"You started wearing that aviator jacket. Long sleeves all the time. You starved yourself. You looked so depressed, and I couldn't help you. You kept pushing everyone away." Percy forced Nico's arms wrist-up, and his thumbs ran along the scars. Nico shuddered involuntarily, trying to pull away. Percy locked eyes with him, giving Nico a hurt-puppy look that made Nico's heart ache. Even if he was over his crush, Nico still cared for Percy. He didn't want Percy to be disappointed in him.  
"And now I know why you pushed me away," Percy continued, "and I guess this isn't helping you right now. But I can't stand the thought of losing you. You're like my little brother." Percy pulled him into a hug.  
After a second of hesitation, Nico hugged back. Percy was really strong, but at the same time he was like a giant teddy bear. It was so hard to believe that such a nice guy was such an awesome violent fighter. Being in the dark forest alone with Percy might have made Nico nervous at one time, but there was nothing romantic about it. It was comforting and friendly, and sad, but not romantic. Nico was grateful that it wasn't. Percy was so accepting. He was nice, joking, caring, protective...like a big brother. Percy was Nico's family. Nico buried his face in Percy's shirt. He smelled like a sea breeze.  
They carried on walking through the forest afterwards with a lighter mood, bumping shoulders and joking around. Nico had never felt so comfortable, so normal in a social situation. It was fun. Percy was carrying on about when he was Nico's age, only having to deal with a prophecy, and some girl problems. He joked, "So what are your girl problems, Nico?" Then his face turned into confusion, and a little worry. "Uh, sorry, I mean.." Percy's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know what I mean." Nico rolled his eyes. "I only have 'girl problems' if you count yourself as a girl," Nico smirked. Percy relaxed a little. "So, um, just out of curiosity, haven't you had other crushes too? I mean, I once had a crush on my kindergarten teacher. I started pretty early."  
Nico sighed. "No, it's just been you, as long as I can remember. Then again, I don't remember much before meeting you. Oh," he realized. "Well, there's also Will." Nico blushed.  
Percy raised his eyebrows and grinned slyly. "Will Solace? The tall blond athletic healer?"  
"Yeah...so?" Nico tried to keep his voice neutral, failing miserably.  
"So, if this is the last day you'll see him, don't you think you should go tell him you like him?!" Percy was grinning madly.  
"He already knows, Percy," Nico smiled shyly. He thought of the hug and the kisses, and sighed happily. Percy didn't notice Nico's satisfaction, maybe due to the scattered shadows. Apparently, Percy assumed the worst.  
He asked, "So, what happened? Does he not like you back, or is he straight?" Percy sounded troubled. That seemed sort of funny to Nico. Why was Percy getting into this? Why did he care? Percy cared about so much. This had nothing to do with him, though. It had no consequences, and nothing affected him. But the matter troubled Percy anyway. Odd.  
"No," Nico replied, "he likes me too, for unknown reasons. We're kind of...together."  
Percy shoved his shoulder playfully.  
"That's great! Are you happy with him?" Percy's smile was so sincere it made Nico's heart happy, as Bianca would have said.  
Nico pondered his question. Was he happy? When he was with Will he felt as if the whole world was on his side. No, even better: as if everything in the world was against him, but they couldn't hurt him. He was strong with Will. Will let him be weak, but guarded his weaknesses so he couldn't be hurt.  
"It's only for a day, but yeah. I'm happy. For the first time in what feels like forever."

Nico stood hand-in-hand with Will, tall and proud. They were in front of the entire Roman crowd. Nico could see the small army assigned to be executioners walking towards him. But he had friends behind him. The seven demigods of the prophecy, minus Hazel and Frank, but plus Will, were all there supporting him. It had taken a lot of energy to shadow travel them all there, but he figured he wouldn't need the energy if he was about to die anyway.  
Today was the day death would die.   
Nico waited as the army approached him. He was one boy against an entire society. There was no chance of survival. Justin led the army up to Nico, and when he was ten yards away, he sneered at the son of Hades.   
"Nico shirt," he spat.  
Nico smiled back, crossing his arms. Will had given him a gay pride shirt just to irritate the Romans. There was no way in hell he would let them make him feel more shame than he already had. There was nothing wrong with him. He was perfectly normal.   
"I doubted you'd show up," Justin continued, "but here we are. Let's get going."  
The son of Justitia turned to the expectant Roman crowd. "Who are we?" he roared to them.   
"Romans!" was the loud chorus.  
"Yes! This boy is an enemy of Rome! What do we do with our enemies?" Justin continued.  
"Kill them!" came the roar.  
Nico gave Justin a dead stare. "Great. You proved how well you brainwash your citizens. Good for you. Can we get this over with?"   
Will gave him a worried sideways glance, but Nico didn't care. He realized they weren't really boyfriends, since they'd only been together for a day, acting on impulse. So Will didn't have much of an effect on Nico's choice to talk back to the Romans. Besides, Will hadn't said anything anyway.   
Justin approached Nico with a smug smile that Nico wanted to punch off his face. "I'd love to," he said, his face never changing, "especially because it all gets better from here. Worse, for you."   
"Do your worst," Nico growled, "but it will never be justified. You are an embarrassment to your mother."   
Justin's eyes hardened, and he turned on his heel. The Roman snapped to his army, "Get this fag ready to die."  
Nico clenched his fists, taking his hand out of Will's. The army surged forward and separated him from his friends. There were hands gripping his arms and wrists, and feet kicking at his knees. Blades were flung about, and there was some sawing, cutting at his clothes and flesh. He looked down to see a web of cuts carved into his stomach. The Romans took his shirt off and probably took it away to burn. They took his shoes and socks, leaving him barefoot on the rocky ground. They even cut his jeans off, leaving him in only his underwear, which was thankfully left on him.   
Here he was in front of his friends and enemies, almost naked. They forced him to stand, to show him to the people. His paleness. His scrawny legs. His scrawny everything. His shrunken stomach, making his ribs stick out, his skin taut around them.   
They showed the world how weak he appeared. He looked like Gollum from Lord of the Rings, except more human, but therefore more pitiable. But he stood his ground, somewhat tall and completely defiant.   
Nico was kicked forward, so he stumbled and walked. A strong pair of arms yanked him to a stop in front of Justin, and drove him to his knees. Nico looked at the ground, not wanting to face more insults, but one of the hands fisted in his hair and yanked his head back, forcing him to look up.   
"See?" Justin loomed over him. "You're just a pathetic orphan from the thirties. Nobody wanted you then, and nobody wants you now."   
Nico said nothing, even when he noticed that the crowd in the immediate vicinity of him were all armed with stones.   
Justin walked away to clear the line of fire. Nico spoke to the crowd, something his mother once told him: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."   
The crowd wavered, but then a son of Mars shrugged and chucked his rock. It hit Nico on the cheek, cutting a small gash in his flesh. After that, hell broke loose. Stones fell quick as rain. Some hit the ground, but most found their target. The sharper ones cut him and stung, but the heavier ones packed more of a punch. Nico didn't have to decide which kind was worse, because he was assaulted by both, in addition to insults and ridicule. Welts and bruises started to form on his body, and rocks clattered to the ground around him. He was curled into himself, trying to protect his head, but one rock got his eye, cutting his eyelid and the side of his head. Pinpricks of blood appeared from his pale skin, and then trickles.   
Finally, the crowd ran out of ammunition, and the thugs came back to pull Nico to his feet, grasping his arms where he had the most scars and cuts. Nico glanced at the crowd, trying not to cry. Sons of Hades don't cry. Sons of Hades don't cry. Sons of Hades don't cry. For once in his life, he wanted to finally be worthy of Hades' acceptance.   
He heard snippets of insults. Most were using Justin's words: fag, enemy, pathetic orphan. 'You worthless basted, this is what you get.' This is what he got for being who he was. Nobody wanted him. But then he caught a sight of his friends. He flicked his attention past Will, who didn't know how to react, and the other demigods, who were frozen in surprise or horror, and looked to Percy. The boy looked solemn, staring straight at Nico. Solemn, yes, but calm. When all else was hectic, Percy could be unwaveringly calm, like the depths of the ocean during a hurricane. It gave Nico strength.   
Nico was steered closer to Justin, who had a ring of something in his hands. He held it delicately, because, as Nico saw when it got closer, it was actually a circle of thorns. The son of Hades supposed he wasn't the only one who made the connection between unjustified crucifixion and the story of Jesus. The son of Justitia forced the crown of thorns onto Nico's head, scraping his skin down and piercing his flesh. They tangled in his hair and skin, making blood drip down, joining with beads of sweat, which got into his eyes and stung enough to temporarily blind him.   
The son of Hades blinked furiously to try to regain his eyesight. Before he could, more hands pushed him, and when he moved forward, there was something, a foot probably, that tripped him and made him fall.  
Falling was usually easy. Nico had fallen plenty of times. He'd fallen into obsession with Mythomagic. He'd fallen in love with Percy. Or at least, the closest thing he ever felt to love besides family love, besides whatever he felt for Will. In fact, his crush on Percy sort of turned into family love eventually. He'd fallen into the Underworld. He'd fallen even further into Tartarus. He'd fallen into plenty of traps, including the ones the Romans had recently used on him. Falling had never been quite as hard as getting back up. Until now.   
When Nico hit the ground, a hundred razor-sharp thorns imbedded themselves into his entire body. One of them narrowly missed his eye. One even pierced his ear. The others sunk into the majority of his bare flesh, unprotected by clothing.   
Laughter cut through his pain, and Nico realized he was still being watched. He should try to be dignified. But as he struggled to rise, his blood made it slippery, and putting his weight on his hands and knees forced those thorns deeper. That said, he withstood the pain. Nico slowly stood up, the bitter thorns now burying themselves into the pads of his feet. He plucked the one thorn from his eye, and finally blinked the blood, sweat, and tears away to clear his vision. He now saw the thorns on the ground and the ones in his skin. There were too many to bother picking out. The son of Hades' eyes followed the path made by the parted crowd, paved with sharp thorns, and settled on a looming sight of doom. He saw the crucifix, the large wooden cross he would be attached to while he died.   
Someone shoved Nico again, and he tried to keep balance. Falling was too painful. But walking made the nerves in Nico's feet scream in pain. Contrary to his senses, Nico's mouth stayed clamped shut, his vocal cords as lifeless as he was soon to be. One step, then another. Don't listen to the crowd. He didn't need to be called a fag anymore. Hades had covered that well enough the first couple years of their father-son, tormentor-tormented relationship. Nico focused on walking and breathing. Breathe in, step. Breathe out, step. Just one more step. One more step, ten times over, and this would almost be done.  
Justin made another speech about how Nico deserved this, but the son of Hades wasn't really listening. He met Percy's eyes once more as he walked among the thorns, and now it was his own turn to be calm, for the son of Poseidon's sake. Nico realized they had to help each other through this day, or else neither might keep their sanity for the short time Nico had left. Then Nico looked at Will, his impulse-boyfriend. Will's face was unusually pale for a son of Apollo. Even with a boy being tortured and executed before him, Nico expected a more level-headed reaction. Will was a healer, after all. He dealt with injured patients. He'd healed people and lost patients during two wars. Nico was a little bit proud to have been subjected to something so gruesome and brutal to have affected Will like this. It was a demented, bitter kind of pride, but it took Nico's mind off of the thorns for a moment.   
Just a moment. He stumbled over to where the path ended. The cross was flat on the ground, with a son of Vulcan nearby with his back to Nico. There was the clanking of metal, and when he turned around, Nico swallowed hard. In the son of Vulcan's hands were a large hammer and three huge iron spikes. So they were going for that type of crucifixion. Sometimes, people were just tied to the cross. In special cases, the Romans used nails.   
For one of the the first times that day, Nico's courage failed him. He'd never liked piercings. He hated needles. The thorns were bad enough. They made his skin crawl. But huge iron nails wider than Nico's thumb? No way. This wasn't happening. He started to hyperventilate.   
Then Nico remembered Hades’ teachings. Showing weakness was a hundred times worse than having it. Sons of Hades don't cry. Sons of Hades take the pain in silence. Nico forced himself to breathe evenly. He clenched his jaw and finished moving forward. He was shoved once more, right before he got to the cross, and face-planted in the thorns for the second time. Nico barely felt it. He was numb to his surroundings now. He couldn't hear the crowd. He couldn't feel the pain. He couldn't taste anything but metallic blood.   
Nico was set down on the cross. He stared up at the sky, barely seeing it. Fluffy white clouds rolled by, and the sun shined down on him so all of Olympus could watch his humiliation. Yet he was as dry-eyed as ever, even as someone tugged his feet together, one on top of the other, and the son of Vulcan lined up the first nail in the middle of both. Nico's anorexic chest heaved, but no sound came out. He felt a hand squeeze his, and thought it might be Percy or Will. He turned his head to the side and closed his eyes, not wanting to see the nail driven through his feet, crushing both bone and tendons, veins and nerves. He squeezed the hand in his, taking a breath and trying to prepare himself for it.   
Nothing could have prepared him for the shock of absolute nerve-searing pain. It was worse than anything Hades had ever done to him, and anything he had experienced in Tartarus. Nico knew he screamed, but he couldn't hear himself. It was as if the pain was a physical manifestation itself, waging war on Nico's nerves, requiring all of Nico's energy that usually went to his five senses to resist. For a moment, the longest moment of Nico's life even considering the few months he'd spent that turned out to actually be seventy years, Nico was in another world. He opened his eyes, and the world was spread out in psychedelic swirls and spots of black and a neon light that had no color.   
A beautiful, gentle voice reached out toward him in the confusion; the familiar comforting voice he hadn't heard in years: "Shh, shh. It's okay. I know it hurts. Be brave, Nico."   
"Bianca?" he croaked. Another squeeze of his hand, and Nico blinked to see the world of the living again. He turned his eyes to his hand, which was empty. There was no hand in his, at least not a physical, living one. Nico looked down to where his feet were speared into the wooden cross. He tried to move his toes, but couldn't. He couldn't even feel them.   
The son of Vulcan procured another nail, and moved toward Nico's hand. It was the hand Bianca had been holding. A wisp of wind moved through the son of Hades' hand, removing the feeling of his sister's hand in his. He relaxed his fingers to let go of her, and the son of Vulcan pulled his hand to the edge of the cross. The nail was lined up in the middle of Nico's wrist, in the midst of the sensitive area of veins, arteries and tendons.   
Nico's heart was fluttering sporadically, as if trying to escape; jump ship, save itself. If only it could. His friends were nowhere to be found. Nico's chest ached for just one more look at Percy or Will. The son of Vulcan raised his hammer, ready to strike, and Nico was dumb enough not to turn away this time.   
So he watched the heavy iron nail be driven roughly through his wrist, pushing tendons out of the way, snipping veins, and spurting blood. Of course there was the same pain as before, but for whatever reason, Nico didn't lose his sight this time. Maybe it was extra punishment from the gods; they wanted him to be horrified by the sight of the metal pinning his wrist to the cross.   
Nico was beyond queasy. A blur of laughter and cheering broke through the sound barrier between Nico and the world of the living. Nico giggled along with them. He wasn't happy. There was nothing funny. The Roman crowd was silenced by his quick deterioration onto insanity. His laugh was gurgled and bloody, but his small frame was wracked with convulsions. Maybe he was delusional from blood loss. Maybe he was insane. He knew it had something to do with the cold intrusion of metal where no metal should ever be. It wasn't funny, but it was to him at that moment.   
He became aware of another hand gripping his relatively unharmed hand, and turned, still laughing, to see no one there. Another voice said, "You have your father's sense of humor as well as his strength. He will be proud." Nico could practically hear the owner of the voice shaking her head in grudging amusement. "I know I am," she continued.  
"Mama?" he murmured with a smile, but the voice was gone as quickly as it had come.   
Now came the final hand. Nico stared at the sky once more, his eyes seeing the deep azure color in a way he never had before. This time he heard the smack of the hammer, and felt the dull impact. He even felt the mist of blood on his face, but there was no sharp, spine-numbing pain. He was beyond the limit of pain. His nerves were abandoning him, just like everyone else. He knew they'd be back soon. By 'they,' he meant both his nerves and the people in his life. The pain would be back, at least once more before he died. When he died, he would be with his family in the Underworld. And his friends? They'd find him one way or another. They always did.   
In addition to his previous laughter, the lack of a scream during the last nail helped to silence the Roman crowd. He bet they were finally remembering why they'd been scared of him before, even as skinny as he was. Sons of Hades were not to be messed with. Breaking their sanity was only going to unleash the demons of the Underworld or, in this case, maybe Tartarus. Nico's head slumped to his chest as a team of Roman warriors lifted the head of the cross off the ground and walked it up until it and Nico were vertical. Looking down now, Nico saw all the grass in the entire field of Mars had blackened and died, effectively warding off everyone around except the son of Vulcan and those soldiers who had to get the cross upright. Large cracks were also appearing in the Earth, growing into great chasms and shaking the ground. Maybe that's why Nico's friends had stayed away. Or maybe they just weren't strong enough to face the crucifixion process. Or maybe they just didn't want to.   
The cross was kicked from the bottom, and it scooted forward into a hole about three feet deep. The gravity tugged at his wrists and feet, making him wince. What blood he had left was finally distributed through his body, and his nerves tingles with pain once more. Nico realized he was in a cold sweat, despite the hot day. The Romans cheered as the cross was stabilized, and Nico's blood dripped to the ground. Justin made another speech, but Nico was too busy searching the massive crowd for his friends in vain to listen to the jerk.

For a long time, Nico must have been unconscious. Like before, he was cut off from the living world, but a new voice permeated his semi-reality.   
"You're so brave, Nico. It will be over soon. You will have a happy ending."   
Unlike before, the son of Hades could actually reply to this voice. He recognized her, he thought, but just to make sure, he used their name. "Lady Hestia? Why is crucifixion ever considered a happy ending?"   
"Your friends are still there for you. Your family is waiting for you. Don't you see? All this time you insisted you didn't belong in either world," Hestia told him warmly, "but truly, you belong in both."   
Hestia's aura of comfort and family washed over Nico's soul, the only part of himself he could feel at the moment, and Nico was grateful.   
"You will soon rest in peace, son of Hades. However, your life isn't over quite yet. Think of what you want to be remembered for. You have the rare opportunity to craft your last words. Tell your friends what they mean to you, and keep nothing hidden."   
Hestia's warmth was starting to fade, as was her voice. "Stay proud, Nico. Don't be angry, and don't be afraid. Just let it be."   
After those words of wisdom, Hestia left and Nico woke up.   
The Roman crowd was gone. The pain was back. Nico's friends were back too. They were starting to pick the thorns from his skin. The son of Hades groaned upon waking, and he looked up at the friendly demigods.  
"Just let it be," he told them, echoing Hestia. "Thorns don't matter compared to these iron nails."   
"Nico!" Will exclaimed. "I was afraid you were already dead!"   
"I almost wish I was," Nico replied, his tongue feeling like lead and sandpaper, "but victims of crucifixion often survive hours, or even days after being nailed up." The son of Hades studied the faces of his friends. They looked guilty, but there was nothing they had done wrong. Except for leaving him while the nails were being hammered in, but he couldn't blame them for that. He hadn't wanted to be there either. "I love you guys,” he blurted out. “I know I'm not really a good friend, but none of you have ever hurt me on purpose. Thank you." He looked straight at Percy. "Tell Hazel I love her," he requested, "and for that manner, Reyna too. And Frank. Although, in a non-homo way. I don't know if he'd be weirded out if I didn't add that, because he's just weird about those things," Nico rambled.  
He swallowed and kept going, because how much time did he really have to talk? There was a faint buzzing in his ears; the kind of buzzing he heard when people died.  
"I'm sorry, Percy. I wanted to say that again, because I've caused you so much trouble in such a short lifetime, and it was never fair to you. And," he added, addressing the group, "I'll be waiting in the Underworld for you guys. You'll never be completely alone, even after death."   
He thought about what else he could say to settle his debts to the living. Then he remembered.  
"Damn it. I lost the bet," he spoke out loud.  
"What bet?" Jason asked.  
"I bet Hades that I'd live at least until my eighteenth birthday," the son of Hades replied, disappointed. He sighed. "Oh well." Then he remembered another thing. "Do any of you have a drachma?"   
Annabeth finally spoke through her silent tears. "For what?" she asked.  
"If I don't pay Charon, he'll yell at me," Nico explained.  
Percy dug his hands into his pockets, then procured a coin and held it up.   
Nico asked, "Would you please put it in my mouth?"   
"Ew." Annabeth made a face. "Didn't anyone ever tell you never to put money in your mouth? You know how many people handled that?"   
Nico laughed. "What exactly do I have to lose? I'm not going to get a disease if I'm dead," he pointed out. One weird death ritual later, the drachma was under Nico's tongue.    
"Thanks," he lisped. "Now what? I just wait to die?"   
The demigods shrugged. Then Percy suggested, "Well, you've said what you wanted to say to us, but why don't we say what we want to say to you?"   
"If you want to." Nico tried not to reveal his full curiosity.  
And then there was silence. Just silence, and the awkward shuffling of feet. The teenagers glanced around at each other, then stared at the ground.  
Nico was as silent as them. His curiosity sort of sputtered out. After all, what had he expected, well prepared, heart-wrenching speeches? Not from these teenagers. No. Yeah, they'd fought in wars and saved the world, but they didn't know how to truly cope with death. They were used to living everyday life as normally as they could, ignoring impending danger and the fact that any of their friends might die any day. They didn't think ahead and prepare for death, because they were so used to living in denial and acknowledging death only during funerals before going back to their denial.   
None of them knew what to say. None of them had words to offer comfort to a dying boy.   
After maybe three minutes, Percy finally mumbled, "I don't know what to say."   
Nico smiled humorlessly. "Well, I've got nowhere to be." He looked at Leo, whose fingers hadn't stopped fiddling with metal since Nico had woken up. "Any jokes I can take to the grave, Fire Boy? I'm gonna have an eternity to annoy Hades. I think I'll need some more material."   
Leo scratched his neck. "Death isn't really my element."   
"I know. It's mine," Nico replied.   
The son of Hephaestus smirked, and said, "Um...do you live in a cornfield? 'Cause I'm stalking you."   
Nico laughed, and winced. "Yeah. I'll use that."   
"What do you call a cross between a son of Hades and happiness?"   
"Nonexistent?" Nico guessed.   
"Reality!"   
"Oh. Right. A 'cross.' I get it. That might actually make him laugh." Nico smiled, considering the possibility. Hades had never laughed in front of him, if at all.   
"You know, Death Breath," Leo said, finally slightly more comfortable and able to talk in front of the scene of dying, "you're one tough cookie. You need a couple cookies, too. You're so skinny. And I thought I was scrawny!"   
Piper hit him, but Leo kept going. "My point is...I guess I'm trying to say that, well, even though I call you Death Breath, your breath doesn't actually smell. And by that, I mean I respect you, and am for some reason unable to admit it, so I make fun of you instead, and I don't want you to die thinking your breath smells or I hate you."   
That was as good a funeral speech as any other.   
"Thanks, Leo."   
"You're one of the bravest people I know," Jason added. "Can I ask, though: how don't you ever cry?"   
Nico shifted the coin in his mouth to one of his cheeks like a squirrel. "Hades kind of trained me not to," he told Jason. "If I ever cried, he'd give me a real reason to cry, and then I just learned my lesson after that." If Nico could have shrugged, he would have. As it was, the son of Hades' shoulders ached. They were being held up and back by the nails in his wrists, but were also yanked down by gravity. His spine hurt. His wrists and feet hurt too, but that was a whole other level of pain Nico chose to ignore for the time being.   
Next came Annabeth. "Nico." She cleared her throat. "Death isn't easy, I'm sure, but you make it look like it is. You're incredibly strong in addition to brave, and we're lucky to have ever known you."   
Then Piper went to speak. It seemed as if Leo had lightened the mood and made it less scary for the demigods to say their last words to Nico.   
The daughter of Aphrodite said this: "Nico, demigods deal with pain all the time. There are several types of pain, and you seem to have mastered them all. Physical pain, even as severe as these iron nails sentencing you to death, seems to have much less of an effect on you than on other people. But in addition to that, you have dealt with too much emotional pain for anyone, let alone someone your age. You've had your heart broken by loss, torture, and alienation, but you still stayed good. Hearts stronger than mine would have given in to bitterness and corruption, but yours never did. You didn't deserve any of that pain, but your soul is so pure that you stayed good."  
Now Will, looking into Nico's eyes as he spoke: "Nico, I can't thank you enough for spending one of your last days with me. I wish we could have had more time to spend together. It's killing me...sorry, bad choice of words. It's extremely difficult," Will corrected himself, "for me to see you like this, for something that I'm guilty of as well. Not that there's anything to be guilty about at all. I wish it were me up there instead of you, because killing you is much more of a waste of strength, but also a waste of culture. You've survived so much. You lived through World War Two and worked in a concentration camp. You lived to fight in two more wars, survived depression, survived Tartarus, survived Hades, survived everything. After things so huge as that, the Romans aren't worthy of bringing you down. Please be happy, though, okay? When you die, I know it's cliché to say, but rest in peace. Don't worry about the living world anymore. We'll all be fine. Find your family, and have the afterlife you couldn't actually live."   
Nico smiled at him, nodding in gratitude.   
Percy Jackson, savior of Olympus, Nico's longtime hero and his best friend and cousin, gave his speech next.   
"Nico, you've come so far from the annoying little kid you used to be," the son of Poseidon said with a sad smile. "I kind of wish you hadn't, though. It broke my heart to see you suffer for so long. You aren't annoying anymore, but you also haven't been happy. I've always tried to save you from any monsters I could, but I never could save you from yourself. I couldn't save you from Tartarus, and I couldn't save you from Hades. I couldn't even save you from this! I tried to be the hero I thought you needed, but I've realized recently, that you don't need me. You're more of a hero than I am, and you're more than capable of taking care of yourself."  
"Evidently not," Nico muttered, flexing his fingers and feeling the tendons in his wrists scrape against metal.   
Percy continued, "I'm sorry I couldn't be your hero, and I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother to you. I'm so proud of what you've accomplished, and how you stood up to those dumb Romans. You're the most dignified person I know, and I know Bianca is proud of you too. Say hi to her for me. Tell her I'm sorry...again."   
Nico's throat was closing in on itself. He choked up, and smiled to himself. Sons of Hades don't cry. Usually.  
"I don't know if that's depressing or heartwarming," he managed.   
Hades hadn't bothered to train Nico to control tears of happiness. One leaked out of his eye, stinging the cuts it passed. Nico blinked, and another tumbled out.   
"Sorry," Percy mumbled.  
"Don't be." Nico took a breath and swallowed to rid himself of the knot in his throat. Talking about Bianca was, and always had been, his weakness. Speaking of sisters... "Do any of you know when Reyna, Frank and Hazel are going to be back from their quest?" he asked.   
The demigods shook their heads.   
"When they find out I'm dead...um, don't let Hazel go dark. Okay? I don't think she will, but losing a sibling is pretty traumatizing. I don't want her to feel sad, or angry, or bitter, or cheated. That's not a path I want her to take."   
"I'm sure you'll be able to tell her yourself," Annabeth assured him.   
Nico hung his head. Normally, his hair would get in his eyes, but the crown of thorns digging into his scalp held it back. "Maybe. I only have two days, though," he mumbled.   
"Say what?" Leo asked.  
The son of Hades raised his head to give his friends a serious look. "I'm going to die in forty-five hours and thirty-three minutes. Thirty two..."  
"How do you know that?" Piper furrowed her eyebrows.   
"I'm the son of Hades, ghost king and all that. I know stuff," he told her.  
"Did you know you had that little time before you went to Roman court?" That was Annabeth asking.   
Nico shook his head. "I can never sense the exact time of death until the death is in the process of happening. But, you know, I do have almost two days left, so you guys can choose to leave and come back when I'm closer to the edge, if you want. Or you could just leave, period. I'm sure it's a long trip back to Camp Half-Blood."   
Jason shook his head. "We're not going to leave you, Nico. We'll be with you every step of the way."   
"I'm afraid I don't have any more steps to take," Nico replied grimly. "It's not like I'm going anywhere. I'll still be here if you want to see me die."  
Piper wrung her hands. "Do you want us to bring you anything? Food, or water?"  
Nico shook his head. That would only prolong his pain. Nico scanned the faces of his friends. They looked more worried than he was. There wasn't anything to worry about; there was no chance at changing his fate. That didn't soothe his friends' worries. He was almost glad when they left. He would be out of sight, out of mind. 

After a fretful hour or so, the son of Hades fell unconscious. He dreamt of nothing, but that in itself was a relief. Usually, his dreams were nightmares. He woke up to a dimming sky and a shaky voice in his ears completing with a louder buzzing sound that signaled Nico's current state of dying.   
"I don't know what to do," the voice said. It was male and unfamiliar. Nico turned his eyes from the sunset to the boy seated at the foot of his cross. It was a scrawny kid. He had stringy brown hair tucked behind big ears, and freckles on his face. "I love Rome," the kid continued in a calmer voice, "but I don't want to end up like you."   
Nico listened to the boy out of curiosity. He didn't think the kid had noticed Nico was conscious.   
"They'll kill me if they find out I'm...gay," they choked out. "But what choice do I have? I need to stay in New Rome, or else the monsters will get me, but that means I have to lie about who I am."   
Nico finally understood. As a dying person, he was someone people could talk to without fearing he'd tell anyone their secrets. He was also relatable to gay demigods. The son of Hades felt that he should speak up. After all, this kid was asking for advice, even if he didn't expect to get any.   
"Hey, kid?" Nico coughed.   
The young boy's head flew up, his wide blue eyes meeting Nico's calm gaze. His teeth were bared in a grimace of fear and guilt, like he'd been caught doing something wrong.   
"Ahh! Um, sorry! I'll go now..."   
The kid scrambled away, but Nico said, "Wait. You can stay and talk, if you want. I promise I'll understand. Besides, I can take your secret with me to the grave. Literally." He smiled to try to seem kinder and the kid actually reconsidered, timidly and awkwardly sitting down in front of the cross. He faced Nico, and every once in a while the kid's eyes would flicker up to Nico's then look away.   
"How much did you hear?" The kid's voice cracked.   
Nico sighed for the kid's sake. "Why don't you tell me your name first?" he suggested.  
"Jack," was the answer.   
"Okay, Jack. Hi. I'm Nico."  
"I know," Jack mumbled.   
"What?"   
"Everyone knows your name," Jack explained. "You're...you."   
Nico laughed. "Great description." He saw Jack loosen up and even smile a bit, which felt good. Nico usually wasn't good with humans. Not living ones, anyway. "So, Jack." Nico got down to business. "I heard your situation, and I would suggest you go to Camp Half-Blood. They accept people like us there."   
"But..." Jack squirmed, his blue eyes downcast. "I've never left Camp Jupiter."   
"Just because you've never done something doesn't mean you shouldn't."  
"Can't I just stay here and lie to everyone?" Jack was pleading as if Nico had any control over him.   
Nico shook his head, mainly to get rid of a drop of blood and sweat tickling his cheek. "You could, yes. But..." The son of Hades struggled to express his thoughts. "Do you have a crush on anyone?"   
Jack squirmed even more. He moved like an ADHD caterpillar. "Yes," he finally said, biting his tongue.   
"But you can't be with them, not even in the future, if you stay at this camp and lie to everyone," Nico pointed out. "You'll have to lie to them too. If they like you back, you could convince them to go to Camp Half-Blood with you, and then you could both be free."   
"I don't have any friends there, though." Jack looked sad and lonely. His lips pouted a little, childishly.   
"The people there are great," Nico said. "If you want, I could introduce you to some of them today, or tomorrow. They're some of the best people you could ever meet." A thought struck him. "Which god are you related to?"  
"I'm the son of Mercury," was the happy answer.  
Nico smiled. "Do you like pranks and jokes?" Jack nodded enthusiastically. "If you go to Camp Half-Blood, you'll have a whole cabin of siblings who pull pranks all the time. You'll love the Stoll brothers."   
Jack was looking more interested. "Can I meet your friends soon? Oh," he remembered, "but don't tell them..."   
"I won't," Nico assured him. "I'm taking it to the grave, remember?"  
Jack's eyebrows furrowed. "You shouldn't be up there. You're too young to die."  
Nico's heart warmed at the strange boy defending him. "Actually, I'm eighty-three."   
Jack laughed, but Nico was telling the truth. "Besides," he continued, "I get to see my family again. They're all in the Underworld already."   
"Oh yeah," Jack murmured, as if remembering that fact. As if he really did know Nico. "Did you really go through Tartarus?" was the next question of awe.  
"How do you know about that?"   
"I told you," Jack smiled. "Everyone knows you. So did you?"  
"Yes," Nico admitted.   
"What was it like?"   
"Completely horrible. I don't recommend it." Nico smiled sardonically. If anyone else had asked Nico about Tartarus, he would have freaked out and snapped at them. With this meek boy, it was easy to talk.   
They joked around for a while before the son of Mercury said, "You're nicer than I thought you'd be."  
"Why? Sons of Hades can't be nice?" He sighed, and answered his own question. "We usually aren't. I guess I'm the exception. I'm not exactly Hitler."   
"You're so death-y, which is awesome. But then you're nice, which is more..."   
"Human," Nico finished. Jack nodded.   
There was a silence which lasted a minute or so, and then Jack said, "Thanks. For talking with me."   
"Of course," Nico smiled. "Just think about your options. If you want to meet my friends, just come over here in forty-two hours and fifteen minutes. Actually, come before that. You shouldn't have to see me actually die."   
"Okay."   
Jack left soon after that, leaving Nico with his thoughts.   
His thoughts were not pleasant, for the most part. Nico couldn't stop wondering if Hazel would be okay. Losing a sibling was hard. It was even more worrisome because Nico probably wouldn't get to say anything to her before he died. His last words to her...what had he said the last time they parted? He'd wished her luck on the quest, and made her promise to come back in one piece. What if she died too?! No, no. That couldn't happen. It could, but it wouldn't. He wished he had said more to her; told her he loved her, and to be strong and all that. "Good luck" just didn't seem good enough.   
In a way, Nico was a little relieved she wasn't here. She didn't have to see this gore. Hazel had seen enough pain in her lifetime. He didn't want her to see him at his lowest. He wasn't even sure if she knew he was gay. With Hazel being from the thirties, Nico wasn't sure how she'd react to that. Maybe she'd hate him. That would make everything easier for her. In reality, though, maybe she'd be okay with it. Hazel was pretty modern and accepting. He still didn't want her to be sad about his death, though.   
He wished he'd done more with his life. Nico had fought in wars and helped protect the camps, which was great. Fine. But...he was the son of Hades. For the past five years, he'd been the son of Hades, and nothing more. Hades had taught him how to subdue laughter and smiles. He had been taught to be scary as a survival mechanism. He wished he'd spent more time living, not just surviving, especially since the whole 'surviving' plan was failing. Nico had lived his life for others. He wished with all his being that he'd spent more time living for himself. Shouldn't he, as a son of Hades, have known how short life could be, and how easily opportunity could slip away?   
Nico supposed it didn't matter now. Regrets were useless.   
So he contented himself with watching sunrises and sunsets. Nailed to the cross, then sunset, sunrise, sunset, sunrise, death. That's all he had left. He counted how many drops of blood fell to the ground, imagining them as seconds of life dripping away, escaping his body.  
The day after he was nailed up, it rained at dawn. Nico raised his eyes to the heavens, letting the fresh water trickle down his neck. It cleansed his skin of blood. While Nico's life was slowly draining out of him, the water droplets misting on his body incorporated new endurance into his soul. This was the river of life, coming by to say goodbye. Nico would die, and life would go on. Nature didn't care about mortals. Going to the Underworld would be like taking shelter in a storm. Life was crazy, and Nico had withstood it enough.   
Nico smiled to himself and closed his eyes. He took in the cool summer rain, falling, falling to the earth, the dark masses of clouds rolling on by, and the warm breeze giving him pure air fit for his last breaths. It was a new baptism into death.   
In the morning, his friends checked in on him. Leo gave him a few more jokes, having consulted the "Supersized McShizzle Almanac." Nico told them about Jack, saying that they should tell him about Camp Half-Blood, and that he would show up the next day, before Nico died. The other demigods promised to help the boy, as Nico had known they would. They also informed him that there was no sign of Hazel, Reyna, or Frank, and that their Iris messages had failed.   
By the middle of the day, the nails in Nico's feet and wrists were driving him crazy. He couldn't stop imagining the rust in his blood, scraping against his brain, itching his eyes. If his hands had been free, he would have been clawing his face to shreds. As it was, he was hitting his head against the back of the cross, one dull thud after another. Why wouldn't he just die already? Those stupid Romans just had to prolong his suffering!   
Will hadn't spoken much to Nico since the nails went in. The son of Hades couldn't blame him, he just wanted something more from Will. Anything. Romance or a breakup, anything to bring the fire back into his heart. As it was, Nico's heart was numb. He'd kept it numb for so long just so he wouldn't feel the pain, but he wanted to feel. He wanted to be human, and vulnerable, and mortal. He wanted to live while he still could. Will currently held Nico's heart, but he wasn't doing anything with it. This was as maddening as not being able to scratch the itch on his side.   
Eventually, finally, Will showed up. He was alone, just a solitary figure approaching the cross.   
"Hi, Nico."   
"Hi, Will."  
"Um, how are you holding up?" Will was as awkward as Jack had been. As if he was afraid of Nico. He kept rubbing the back of his neck, then shoving his hands in his pockets.   
"I'm fine, Will. How are you?" Nico tilted his head with a smirk.  
Will shook his head. "That hardly matters. I'm not the one..."   
"Dying," Nico finished for him. "But it does matter. Okay? You're the one who's going to have to keep surviving and trying to be happy. That's much harder than actually dying."   
"I can't believe it. We'll never get to be together. We'll never get to be happy together. We'll never live to truly love each other." There it was. The son of Apollo was already mourning their relationship.   
"So you're moping about it?" Nico said bluntly.   
Will's eyes flicked up, then back at the ground, and he said nothing.  
Nico sighed. And Will called him dense? "Okay. If that's your choice."   
A silence. Then, in a depressing voice that wasn't like Will at all, "Is there anything I could say or do to make this easier?"  
"For you, or for me?"  
"Either. Both."   
"Well for starters, you could scratch this itch."   
A smile tugged at the corner of Will's mouth. "Where is it?" he asked.   
"It's on my right side, below my ribs." Honestly, Nico just wanted Will to get closer to him.   
The son of Apollo did. He ran his fingers across the dying boy's skin, mumbling, "Tell me when I find it."   
"A little higher...to the left...stop. Right there." Will dug his blunt nails into the skin there to itch it. Relief spread through the nerves Nico had left. "Thanks." Will stepped back, clearing his throat.   
"We only had a day," the son of Apollo said softly. "One day to be normal. It's not enough."   
"I know."   
"Why can't we be mortal? They don't seem to have these problems."  
"If I were mortal, I'd be eighty-three and look it," Nico pointed out. "A fact of life is that it ends. You'll find someone else."  
Will snorted. "I doubt it."   
"Well, if you don't, then I'll be in the Underworld for when you eventually die."   
"If I kill myself, I can speed up that process," Will contemplated.   
Nico gave him a dead-eyed stare. "If you kill yourself, I'll break up with you in the Underworld. Us being together is a last-case scenario. Live your life. Heal people. Move on and love other people until you find the one. You need to forget me, okay?"   
Will gave him that kicked-puppy look, but Nico held strong.   
Will left soon after that. Nico spent the rest of his last full day and night alone, until his friends came to watch him die. He introduced them to Jack, and got everything squared away. Everyone was tense with anticipation, and Nico numbly wondered if his time of death sense was accurate. The people were so expectant; it would be a shame to disappoint them. Finally, there was only a minute left. He announced the fact to everyone, and they grimaced. He decided against a verbal countdown as everyone waited.  
Nico took a rasping breath. His breath was coming shallowly. The buzzing in his ears got louder, and he wondered if maybe dying really would finally bring him peace, like Hestia had said.  
"I love you guys," he managed to the demigods around him, as his eyes were closing. "See you later," he mumbled numbly, with a small smile on his face where there was so rarely one before.   
There was a blackness closing in on Nico's vision, and he finally turned his eyes to Will. Just one last glance at the boy of sunshine. The light at the end of the tunnel. He could see the light now, too, right where Will had been. It was a gentle glow, like a candle. Go towards the light, the three female voices in his head chorused.   
So he did. He went into the light, floating on a gentle breeze that smelled like home, and was gone from the living world.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m sorry. I wrote this three years ago when I was in a dark place. Now I’m in a different dark place. :-/


End file.
